E-rickshaw owners to get 15,000 subsidy on registration

New Delhi, May 26: Delhi government on Monday said it would provide a subsidy of Rs 15,000 to e-rickshaw owners on registration of their vehicle with the transport department and also announced 1,880 new buses to strengthen public transport in a few days.

Transport Minister Gopal Rai made the announcements at the AAP government's open Cabinet session at Central Park here and said that 10,000 buses would be added to the DTC fleet in the next five years.

"More than 24,000 e-rickshaw drivers have been given driving licenses and PSV badges after we took office. We have also decided that e-rickshaw drivers would be given Rs 15,000 from the government's part for every new registration.

"Delhi's lifeline are its buses. In the recent past, with a special purpose, the whole DTC fleet was brought to its knees. No new buses came in the last three years so 1,880 buses will be bought in the next few days and the department is working on that," Rai said.

Rai said that as per the suggestions of all the MLAs, the department had decided to run 70 per cent of those buses in the outer Delhi areas.

"1,380 big buses and 500 small buses would run outer Delhi areas".

Referring to the NGT order that banned diesel vehicles older than 10 years from plying on Delhi roads, he said the government has decided to strengthen public transport, that he said would also reduce air pollution.

"We have decided to strengthen the public transport network to a great extent so that people are not forced to take private cars. 10,000 new buses would run in Delhi's roads in the next five years that would include advanced, standard floor buses and that would make Delhi pollution free.

"We have written to the LG/DDA and other authorities to help us procure land for new depots," he said, adding 1,000 new contractual drivers would be recruited in the coming days.

Rai said that his department and DMRC were working towards providing a common mobility card to commuters. The minister said that the government will take care of the concerns of auto rickshaw drivers while warning them of action against harassment of passengers.

The minister also assured that economic rights of labours will be protected. "If any labour's economic right is snatched by middle-men and contractors we will taken action. Labour department has run a special drive to make sure that the culprits are put into Tihar," he added.

PTI